How to Design a School Garden
Teachers and schools are encouraging kids to garden by creating school gardens. Motivate the kids to learn about the garden and life cycles of plants. Design a school garden that gives kids hands on experience with gardening.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Plan a budget for the school garden. A small garden won't cost as much as a larger garden, depending on what is going into the garden. A raised garden, one that uses garden space off the ground, costs much more money than a conventional right in the ground type. If the school's budget won't allow for a larger garden or the garden design you would like, a fundraiser could help raise enough money for the school garden.
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2
Make sure you have permission to till up the area for the garden. Some school regulations or local laws may prevent or restrict space available. Be sure to ask the local school board or follow your school's policies if possible.
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3
Measure the space that is available for the school garden. Space is important in the school garden. The garden should be big enough for the whole school to use but small enough to maintain easily. Maintenance will be hard during the summer months when kids aren't as available to help with garden chores.
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4
Take a survey to see which garden plants will be most beneficial, most popular and allow kids the most rewards. Brainstorm a list of common vegetables and plants such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, squash, melons and sunflowers. Give this list to all students, teachers, parents and anyone else that will be involved with the school garden.
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5
Design a garden that is appropriate size for kids. While older kids can probably reach most areas in a garden, younger kids probably can't reach everything. Designing a smaller garden may help accommodate those who can't reach or maintain the garden easily.
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6
Hire an expert to help design the school garden if budget allows. A garden design expert can help accommodate any special needs and may have suggestions for better use of a school garden space. Check a local agriculture extension or local greenhouses for hiring a garden design expert.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep the school garden design simple and small for the first couple years.
